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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor 

KIMBERLY – In a thrilling game that took extra innings to decide, the Spain Park Jaguars improved to 16-5 overall this season on Tuesday, March 21 in a showdown on the road against Mortimer Jordan.

The Jaguars led 2-0 going to the bottom of the seventh, but the Blue Devils were able to respond with two runs in the home half of the final inning to even the score at 2-2 and force extras.

Following a scoreless eighth inning, the Jags put together two runs in the top of the ninth despite not picking up a hit in the inning. Those two runs became enough in a 4-2 win, as Mortimer Jordan left two runners on base in the bottom of the ninth.

It capped off a low-scoring battle between the two teams, as neither scored a run through the first four innings of action.

Spain Park finally struck in the top of the fifth thanks to a lead-off double from Katie Flannery. That set the stage for a sac fly from Charlee Bennett later in the inning to make it 1-0, while Reagan Stewart followed one batter later with an RBI single to scored Maggie Daniel for a 2-0 lead.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the seventh that the Blue Devils were able to strike in the clutch. They used an RBI double and RBI single in back-to-back at bats to even the score, but they left two on base to send the game into extra innings knotted at 2-2.

In the top of the ninth, the Jags started with Blakley Watts on second base due to the extra-inning rule, and they capitalized quickly despite not picking up a hit in the inning.

A walk to Kenley Holmes was followed by an intentional walk to Flannery to load the bases. A strikeout and Watts being thrown out at home shortly after led to two outs on the board and a runner still not crossing the plate.

But, following another intentional walk to Daniel, the Jags were able to score when Bennett earned a walk following a 10-pitch at bat that featured six foul offs in a true battle at the plate.

Then, a wild pitch brought home an insurance run, allowing Flannery to score the fourth run for the Jags and give them a 4-2 lead.

In the botot half, the Blue Devils also got to start with a runner on second and then led off with a walk to put two aboard.

However, Ella Reed was able to pick up a strikeout and then force a groundout and pop out for three consecutive outs to preserve a 4-2 victory.

Reed pitched the final 5 2/3 innings in the game, striking out nine and allowing two runs on five hits with two walks, while Ella Ussery got the start and went 3 1/3 in the circle, allowing no runs on five hits and four walks.

At the plate, Bennett finished 1-for-2 with two RBIs to lead the way, while Stewart added one hit and one RBI. Flannery, Caroline Charles and Daniel all had one hit for the Jaguars, who only totaled five in the win.